


An Entirely Not Too Unexpected Phone Call

by OreoLuvr13



Series: Post Episode 19.19 Sunk Cost Fallacy [2]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Barisi - Freeform, Episode: s19e19 Sunk Cost Fallacy, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 16:34:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14698098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OreoLuvr13/pseuds/OreoLuvr13
Summary: A follow up to my other story "Late Night Phone Calls." Peter Stone isn't surprised that Rafael Barba is calling him after what happened with the Jules Hunter case. The only real surprise is that it took Barba nearly 24 hours to call him once Carisi was released from the hospital.





	An Entirely Not Too Unexpected Phone Call

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for the kind comments after I posted my first Barisi fic. Your kind words and kudos inspired me to write a little follow up. Enjoy!

It’s just after one in the afternoon, but Peter feels like it should be much later. He has a big case this week. He has a ton of trial prep to get through before the trial begins. It didn’t help that he’s off to a late start because what should have been an easy and relatively quick arraignment in the Jamison case took much longer when defense counsel filed a motion to dismiss. The motion was denied, but it was time consuming. And time is something that Peter does not have a lot of.

Now he’s back in his office going through evidence. He’s in the middle of yet another deposition transcript when his cell phone rings. He looks at it briefly. No ID. It’s a Manhattan area code. But, the same number called him earlier this morning. They didn’t leave a message. It’s probably one of those robo calls.

But then curiosity gets the best of him. That and a need to give his eyes a little bit of a break, he answers the call.

“Hello.”

_“Peter Stone?”_

His eyebrows quirk up in confusion at the unfamiliar and human voice. “Yes?”

_“This is Rafael Barba.”_

Peter sits back in his chair in shock. First, that the former prosecutor is calling him. And second, he’s calling him on his personal cell phone.

_“Liv gave me your cell phone number. I didn’t want to call the office number. I thought it might be a little awkward.”_

It's almost like Barba read his mind. Peter looks out through the glass windows to where his assistant and up to recently Barba’s assistant, Carmen, is sitting at her desk. Yeah, he can see how Barba calling the office may have been a little awkward.

“What can I do for you, Barba?”

_“What’s going on with the Jules Hunter case?”_

There it is. That’s why Barba is calling. Truth be told Peter’s a little surprised that it took Barba this long to reach out to him. He thought for sure that he would be getting an irate phone call from the former prosecutor demanding he have Nick Hunter arrested for murder and attempted murder within minutes after getting CSU’s report that the car accident that killed Jules Hunter and wounded Carisi was anything but an accident.

“He has an air tight alibi. Rollins is looking over his financials now to see if any large withdrawals have been made.”

Barba is silent. No “uh huhs” and “I sees”. No follow up questions. Peter is one hundred percent sure that Barba knows all this information already. He knows they have nothing to charge Nick Hunter with murder or even manslaughter. Peter spoke with Olivia at the court house earlier today. When he asked how Carisi was doing, she mentioned that Barba called her the night before after Carisi was released from the hospital. She relayed to him what Barba told her. That the detective was sore and tired but was getting through it. Peter is pretty sure that their phone calls did not just consist of Barba updating Olivia about her detective, but also Olivia updating Barba about the Jules Hunter case.

Which brings Peter back to the matter at hand. Barba is not calling him just to see the progress of the case. He knows what evidence they have already. He’s putting Peter on notice. He’s putting him on notice that he better be on his A Game to prosecute Nick Hunter. Because even though Rafael Barba is no longer a prosecutor, he still wants justice. Not just for Jules Hunter, but also for Dominick “Sonny” Carisi who is still reeling from the accident both physically and mentally.

_“Be sure to look into his mother’s financials too_ ,” Barba adds.

“I’ll have Rollins or Fin look into it.”

_“Stay on him. You might not have much on him now but give him time. Conceited assholes like him have a tendency to dig their own graves. When he does, you better be ready._ ”

“Will do. Hey, how is Car---” Before he can ask how Carisi is doing, he hears another voice through the phone. He can’t make out exactly what is being said, but the Staten Island accent is unmistakable.

_“Yeah? What do you need? No. No. The doctor said bedrest. Don’t move. I’ll be there in a second. Hold on. Dios mio,_ ” Barba says in a slightly soft, gentle tone. It’s muffled, like he moved the phone away from his ear to talk to whoever he is talking to, Carisi.

_"Hey, sorry_.” Barba says as his attention returns to his phone call with Peter. The kinder tone he just heard is gone and is replaced with his earlier businesslike demeanor. _“Stone. Look, I have to go. Keep me updated.”_

Before Peter can even reply, Barba hangs up.

Peter looks at his phone for a few seconds before he makes a call. “Rollins? Anything new with the Hunter case? Yeah, okay. Start looking into his mother’s financials. Nick Hunter may not have paid anyone to kill his wife, but his mother may have.”


End file.
